Rotary display racks



July 20, 1965 w. B. BOMAR, JR 3,195,736

ROTARY DISPLAY RACKS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 18, 1963 WE'LDON B. Bomae, Jk.

July 20, I965 w. B. BOMAR, JR

ROTARY DISPLAY RACKS 2 Sheets-Shed 2 F'iled Dec. 18, 1963 h I m a WELDOA/ 5.

P O Eiddbfidd Umted States atent ce My FEGURE 6 is a horizontal section taken on the line ",1-5,736 RG'EARY EESPLAY RAS'KS Weldon E. ll-oinar, an, 2.3 lrerrell Road, Dallas, Ten. Filed is, Boarder. No. 331,424

in i. Ell-1&3)

This inv ntion relates to improvements in rotary display racks, and more particularly to novel high capacity rotary racks which corn rise single main rotors on which pluralities of secondary rotors or display article supporting panels are mounted, for rnaxirnurn display space.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of racks of the kind indicated, wherein the main rotors are removably mounted on standards and can be easily quickly interchanged with other rnain rotors; and wherein the secondary rotors or panels are rcmovably mounted on the rotors and can be easily and quickly interchanged with other secondary rotors or panels, for the accommodation of dillerent articles and/ or for increa ing the capacities of the racks, without changing racks.

The rotary mountings of the main rotors and the rotary mountings of the secondary rotors or panels enable prospective purchases of articles displayed on the latter, to gain selective access to articles, without rnovirig from one place or excessive teachings, by rotating the main rotors and the secondary rotors, either singly or both together, whereby display of the articles as well as more rapid selection of articles for examination and purchase is facilitated.

Another important obiect of the invention is the provision of racks of the character indicated above, wherein the secondary rotor or panels are rernovably and rotatably mounted on the main rotors, by means of resiliently carried balls and sockets, which are adapted to be manually sprung aoart for their disengagement, and merely snapped into engagement with each other, Whereby the panels are securely but easily rotat bly mounted on the main rotor, and can be easily and quickly mounted and dismounted. These mountings eliminate the work and consumption of time involved in the use of tools, such as would be the case where such as bolts are used as separable mountings.

A further object or" the invention is the provision of compact, simple, and inexpensive racks of the character indicated above, which are readily manufactured, and

re adapted to be quickly and easily assembled and set up so as to eliminate the need to carry completely assembled racks from place to place.

Other important objects and advantageous features of the invention will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings, wherein, for purposes of illustration only, a specific form of the invention is set forth in detail.

in the drawings:

FEGURE l is an exploded perspective View of a rack of the present invention, showing two different forms of panel FZGURE 2 is an assembled perspective View of FIGURE 1, showing information card added:

FIGURE 3 is a horizontal section. on the line of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a contracted vertical transvers section taken on the line of FEGURE 3, parts being broken away and in section;

PZGURE 5 is a perspective View of another form of main rotor, interchangeable with the main rotor of FIGURES l to 4 with the frame of a panel mounted thereon and shown in broken line; and,

or FIGURE 5. i referring in deatil to the drawings, and first to l to 4, the numeral ill designates a weighted base from which a fixed andard l2 rises, the wer part of the standard being threaded, as indicated at id, to receive a nut 16, which serves as a spacer. The standard 32 is threaded, at its upper end, as indicated at to accent a retaining nut herein shown as being a part of a bracket 22 for holding an information card 24.

The bracket 21': comprises a horizontal flange as, to whose underside the retaining nut 26 is suitably secured, in line with a hole as; and a perpendicular fian e Elli, provided with spaced holes 32, to accommodate bolts 3 which extend through the lower part of the card A main rotor is rotatably mounted on the standard 12 and rests upon the spacer nut 16. The rotor 36 com prises a vertical tube 39, somewhat shorter than the efiective length of the standard 212, and similar upper and lower spiders and as, respectively. These spiders comprise flat crucitorrne having equally circumferentiaily spaced horizo'fal arms 1 which radiate from common central ns 52, the la being provided with centered holes id which closely receive the standard 12. Mounting of the rnain rotor Iii-S involves rnerely engaging the some over the standard 12, so that the lower Snider ib res s rotatably upon the spacer nut to, whereat the retai in not is threaded on the upper end of the standard.

The facing sides of the arms ill of the upper and lowor sgeiders are formed, at their outer ends, with fixed similar centered spherical balls as, which serve as pivots and as retainers for secondary rot is or panels. The an 18 ii can be rigid, or have lirnited resilience, as hereinafter explained.

Interchangeable article carrying and displaying secondary rotors or panels, adapted to be rotatably and i'ernovably and interchangeably mounted on the spiders 3 and ell can assume many varieties of forms, at the dictate of convenience and the types of articles to be displayed, and such are comprehended by the present invention. The interchangeability or" the main rotors and the barrels of various forms, makes an important contribution to speed, convenience, and elimination of work and trouble, since, with this arrangement, it is unnecessary, where it is desired to display articles, other than those presently on display, to replace the entire racks. instead, only an alternate main rotor, in one case, and only alternate panels, in another case, need be carried to and installed on the racks, Without otherwise handling the racks. For purposes of illustration only, two diilerent forms of panels are shown in the drav ings,

The panel A, shown to the left in PEGURE l, and to the right in FIGURE 2, comprises a vertically elongated rectangular frame corn-posed of upper and lower arallei horizontal end members 43 and 5d, respectively, and parallel vertical side members 52. Spaced parallel horizontal hang-er bars 54 extend between and are fixed to the side members 52;, in parallel spaced relation to the end members and and have ailixed thereto transversely extending and spaced hanger fingers 56 that extend to opposite sides of the hanger bars.

The upper and lower end members 38 and 553 have suitably fixed, at their mid-points, annular members 58, whose openings 61? serve as soc rets for the reception of the balls 4:) on the arms 4% of the main rotor as. The annular members are herein shown as being secured in discontinuations of the upper and lower frame end members, but, in any case, are required to have the sides thereof which face the balls 46, at least on a level with the related sides of the frame end members, so as to be capable of receiving major portions of the balls, as shown in FIGURE 4.

The height or vertical dimension of the frame of the panel A must be greater than the distance between related balls 46, so that vertical fexing of either the balls 46 or the annular members 58 is necessary for their engagement and disengagement. For this purpose either or both the main rotor spider arms 40 and the end members of the barrel frames can be made resilient.

With sucharrangement, the installation or removal of the panel A from the main rotor 36 involves application of only such slight manual force as may be required to snap the sockets 69, onto and off the balls 4-6.

The other illustrated panel B comprises a frame similar to that of panel A, except that hanger fingers are absent, and their functions are replaced by a peg-board panel 62, which is suitably affixed, as indicated at 64, to one side of the hanger bars 54 which are located next to the end members 43' and 50'. he panel 62 is preferably somewhat shorter than the panel frame and somewhat wider, and is centered relative to the frame. Display articles having hooks (not illustrated) are adapted to be suspended from either side of the panel 62, in theusual way.

FEGURES 5 and 6 show another, and interchangeable, form of main rotor 36', which is similar to the main rotor 36, except that upper and lower circular rings 66 and 68,

respectively, are suitably secured to the facing sides of the spider arms 41, at their outer ends, and any desired number of balls 46 are fixed, at intervals, to the facing sides of the rings. This arrangement obviously provides for the accommodation of a greater number and variety of secondary rotors or panels. Relatively small diameter bracing'rings it? may be secured centrally to the remote sides of the upper and lower spiders.

Although therehave been shown and described preferred forms of the invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not necessarily. confined thereto, and that any changes or change in the structure of and in the relative arrangements of components thereof are contemplated as being within the scope of the invention as-defined by the claims appended hereto.

What is claimed is:

1. A rotary display rack comprising a base, a fixed standard rising from the base, a main rotor comprising a vertical tube receiving the standard, upper and lower spiders fixed on related ends of the tube, said spiders having central portions rotatably journaled on the standard, means removably engaged on the upper end of the standard and retaining the main rotor in place, said spiders having vertically aligned arms which radiate from said central portions, and at least one panel disposed between and removably journaled on a pair of aligned spider arms, said panel comprising an open rectangular frame having upper and lower horizontal resilient wire members and having bearing means at the mid-portions ard, means removably engaged on the upper end of the standard and retaining the main rotor in place, said spiders having vertically-aligned arms which radiate from said central portions, and at least one panel disposed between and removably journaled on a pair of aligned spider arms, said panel comprises an open rectangular frame having horizontal upper and lower end members, vertical side members, and vertically spaced horizontal hanger bars extending between and fixed to the side members, and spaced transversely extending fingers fixed to and extending to opposite sides of the hanger bars, and means 1 xed centrally on the frame end members and on the spiders journaling the panel on the spiders.

4. A rotary display rack according to claim 3, wherein the spider arms are resilient and flexible and carry balls extending from their facing sides, the panel frame members carrying sockets into and out of which the balls are adapted to snap for retaining the panel in place on and rotatable relative to the main rotor.

5. A rotary display rack according to claim 3, wherein the panel frame end members are resilient and flexible and carry sockets, the spider arms being resilient and flexible and carrying balls extending from their facing sides, the frame end members and the spider arms being flexible to enable the balls to be snapped into and out of the sockets. r a

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS Bleed 211-163 CLAUDE A. LE ROY, Primary Examiner. 

1. A ROTARY DISPLAY RACK COMPRISING A BASE, A FIXED STANDARD RISING FROM THE BASE, A MAIN ROTOR COMPRISING A VERTICAL TUBE RECEIVING THE STANDARD, UPPER AND LOWER SPIDERS FIXED ON RELATED ENDS OF THE TUBE, SAID SPIDERS HAVING CENTRAL PORTIONS ROTATABLY JOURNALED ON THE STANDARD, MEANS REMOVABLY ENGAGED ON THE UPPER END OF THE STANDARD AND RETAINING THE MAIN ROTOR IN PLACE, SAID SPIDERS HAVING VERTICALLY ALIGNED ARMS WHICH RADIATE FROM SAID CENTRAL PORTIONS, AND AT LEAST ONE PANEL DISPOSED BETWEEN AND REMOVABLY JOURNALED ON A PAIR OF ALIGNED SPIDER ARMS, SAID PANEL COMPRISING AN OPEN RECTANGULAR FRAME HAVING UPPER AND LOWER HORIZONTAL RESILIENT WIRE MEMBERS AND HAVING BEARING MEANS AT THE MID-PORTIONS THEREOF REMOVABLY AND PIVOTALLY MOUNTING THE FRAME ON PIVOTS ON THE SPIDERS, VERTICAL SIDE MEMBERS, AND VERTICALLYSPACED HORIZONTAL HANGERS BARS EXTENDING BETWEEN AND FIXED TO THE SIDE MEMBERS. 